On the Forbes wealthy list, India’s standout shuttler PV Sindhu, who has yet to win a world or Olympic title, is rated as the world’s seventh-highest paid sportswoman.
Sindhu expressed her excitement at being ranked so high during the Asian Games in Jakarta, where she was competing against six other well-known tennis players, including world number one Serena Williams.
‘Well, it makes me feel wonderful, lovely, and pleased. When I first saw the news, I thought to myself, ‘OK, I am one of them.’ ‘Sindhu said.
‘The money usually goes to the bank, so there is not much of an account on that,’ she explained, ‘but I believe simply being on that list with some big names is enough to make me smile.’
After being the first Indian woman to win a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, the 23-year-old became a household name in a nation with a population of 1.3 billion.
It resulted in a deluge of endorsements, ranging from sports drinks to cellphones to automobile tyres. Between June 2017 and June 2018, she made $8.5 million, according to Forbes, including $8 million in sponsorships and $500,000 in prize money.
With $18.1 million, Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, topped Forbes’ list. Other tennis players placed higher than Sindhu include Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens, Garbine Muguruza, Maria Sharapova, and Venus Williams. The Indian, on the other hand, finished ahead of tennis’ current world number one, Simona Halep, and Nascar driver Danica Patrick.
Sindhu, the world number three in badminton, was chastised lately after losing her fourth consecutive world championship final this year against Carolina Marin of Spain. Sindhu also lost in the Commonwealth Games final against Nehwal, and at the Indian Open and Thailand Open, she was eliminated at the final hurdle. However, she stated that she is unconcerned with the outcomes.
‘Losing is an inevitable part of life. You are going to lose some and win some. I have to look at it positively. With each loss, I strive to be a better person, ‘Sindhu said. Sindhu initially gained public recognition in September 2012, when she broke into the global top 20 at the age of 17. She has the ultimate prize in badminton firmly in her sights after six years.
‘For the time being, it is only Asian Games, and then we have some Super Series, so we are concentrating on that,’ Sindhu added. ‘And then yeah, hopefully, I’ll win an Olympic gold,’ she added with a laugh.
Punnaiah Chawdary, vice-president of the Badminton Association of India, called Sindhu’s Forbes accolade ‘excellent news for Indian badminton.’ ‘Sindhu, Saina, and the rest of the cast are all fantastic in their way. We are going to win a lot of medals here, I am sure, ‘AFP spoke with Chowdary.
‘Sindhu is doing well in the game and is getting rewarded for it. As a result, I wish her the best of success ‘he stated.
Sindhu defeated Vietnam’s Vu Thi Trang, the world number 52, 21-10, 12-21, 23-21 in the opening round in Jakarta, and will now face Indonesia’s Gregoria Setiawan.
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